170-Year-Old Cottage Now a Chabad House

Chabad Student Centre of Kingston, Ontario has relocated to a new home. After outgrowing their previous location Rabbi Yisroel and Esti Simon purchased the 6,200-square-foot 170-year-old mansion to serve as the new Chabad House.

The Simon’s purchased the home, which previously served as a non-profit retirement home for elderly women, in the beginning of 2014. They hosted their first Shabbos meal for students attending the Queens University in the beginning of April.

They have since taken on the massive job of refurbishing the 13 bedroom and 6 bathroom home, which will serve as the family’s home as well as the hub for all the Chabad House activities.

Sruly and Esti moved to Kingston, with their three children Chaya, Zali and Mimi, in 2010 with a mission to reach out and offer a warm “home away from home” for the estimated 1000 Jewish students who attend the university.

“We ran programs out of the (Earl Street) house but we outgrew it,” Rabbi Simon told The Whig and In their new digs, the Simon’s have already hosted two large dinners including Passover Sader and Shabbat dinner, an event for which “we didn’t even have enough chairs.”

Rabbi Sruly recognized the outside help that the non-profit Chabad centre receives. “This could be a money pit,” he said, referring to the 170-year-old building. “We’re very grateful for the support from the Jewish community.”